In Between by Kate Wilhelm Page B

step of the stairs to the ground. He was talking on a cell phone. They crowded close enough to hear a woman’s voice.
    â€œYou need a lawyer before you say a word. Just tell them you want an attorney.”
    â€œIt’s a preliminary investigation,” Alex said. “Just a brief statement is all that’s required. I can do that much without an attorney.”
    â€œAlex, you can’t! You don’t realize how they can trip you up with whatever you say.”
    â€œOkay, okay. I get it. I won’t mention that I went to the office to find him, to have a talk with him. None of that part. Since he wasn’t there, it’s irrelevant, anyway. My manuscript was. He’d been marking it up like a middle school teacher furious with a sloppy essay. It’s just as well I didn’t see him. He would have been too mad to reason with.”
    â€œOh dear God! Alex you can’t admit a thing, not a thing. Keep your mouth closed until you have a lawyer,” the woman said.
    â€œHoney, don’t worry. My story is the simple truth. I spent time on the computer, channel hopped a bit on the TV, changed my clothes, slept a while, and decided to take most of my stuff down to the car because I planned to leave as soon as I got up.”
    â€œAlex, I’m scared for you. You don’t understand what I’m telling you. Just don’t talk until I’m there.”
    â€œDon’t be scared. I’m okay. As far as that goes, I think a lot of people were roaming about. Doors opening and closing all over the place.”
    â€œI’m so afraid they’ll turn the light on you. I’m coming up there.”
    â€œNo way! I’m just glad you’re not here. I love you, Emma. I want you to stay the hell away from this goddamn mess.”
    â€œI love you, too,” she said.
    Lori stepped back. “That’s enough. No voyeurism. She knows he’s in deep shit and she’s really scared.”
    Sam nodded and together he and Lori drifted away a few feet. “He knows it, too,” Sam said, nodding toward Alex. “Royce all but accused him of murder. That’s going to be the play book here, I’m sure.”
    â€œMe too.” She frowned. “I don’t see what we can do. We can’t ask questions and demand straight answers. We haven’t got a clue about private disputes between Vicente and anyone else and there’s no way we can find out if there were any. We can’t do the forensics, but what good forensics could be is even problematic. They were all over that section of the walkway and they all fired guns yesterday apparently. Maybe they all are hotshot shooters. I bet they’ll find the rifle and it’ll be spotless, thoroughly wiped of fingerprints. Unless someone confesses and we happen to be nearby and overhear it, what can we do?” She shrugged, her attitude, her words, the expression on her face, body language all silently, eloquently registering her frustration and dismay. She felt as helpless as her attitude attested to.
    He felt equally dismayed, equally frustrated. “Don’t know,” he said. “Let’s hang out with them for a while, see if anyone lets out anything helpful. I’ll stick with Alex through his interrogation, and you snoop among the rest of them. One of them just might let something helpful slip out if they don’t think a cop is within hearing distance. Hell, maybe a couple of them will talk about a conspiracy to do old Vicente in. Maybe the widow is in on it. She seems to relish freedom from a performance-only marriage.”
    â€œYeah. Push her button and watch her pour tea. Okay. Good enough,” Lori said and flitted back to the restaurant.
    Sam reentered the suite where Captain Conkling was speaking to Louise. “Mrs. Stossel, this has been helpful. Of course, when your mother’s attorney arrives he’ll be admitted. It’s perfectly understandable that your